Scottish Referendum

BBC reported Wendy Alexander, the Scottish Labour party leader, may try to hurry a public vote on independence. However about a month ago, Alexander was opposed to even the option of independence from Britain.

The Scottish National Party (SNP), a political party that fights for Scottish independence, initiated the bill that was planned for 2010. Alexander's actions were called "erratic" and "extreme" by Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a member of the SNP.

She received criticism from both the SNP and the Unionist Party. The SNP believes rushing the bill might hurt the campaign for independence, especially since current polls show only 40% of Scots in favor. The Unionist party wants Scotland to remain part of Britain, and therefore is opposed to the mere possibility of independence.

The Scottish Act of 1998, Tony Blair's plan for Scottish devolution, allowed the country to found its own parliament. However the plan didn't outline media freedom, which is currently centralized in Westminster. Thus, Scottish media is regulated by Britain and much of the content reflects Unionist and British opinions. 

This article for instance, written in Britain for primarily Scots, expresses the impossibility of Scottish independence, and criticizes Alexander's actions through selective quotations.